Passion under Haze
by Demondays91
Summary: An off-handed comment to Konata ends up upsetting Kagami, but Miyuki's the only one to realise it- where will it lead?. My first shoujo-ai fic, so please go easy on me. Miyuki x Kagami.
1. The Visit

"Whoa, it's so huge!" Konata exclaimed, upon walking in the front door of Miyuki's house. "Miyuki…where do you get the money from, girl? It's totally awesome!"

"Yeah, yeah, you said that outside." Kagami replied, rolling her eyes. "And it's not like Yuki-san has to keep the whole place going by herself. She does have parents, you know."

"Hmmmmm~?" Konata turned her head around, a broad, catlike expression etched on her face. "Are you getting jealous, Kagamin? See, this is what it's like when parents don't have 4 kids to look after, they buy a huge house like this…"

"Why you…you're an only child and your house isn't much better than mine!" Kagami yelled back, displaying her usual short-temperedness.

"P…please, you two! This is our first time at Miyuki-san's house, so let's be polite, okay?" Tsukasa frantically tried to break up the fighting between the two, while Miyuki smiled gently.

"Oh no, please, feel free to make yourselves at home. Mother won't mind, I'm sure." Miyuki said, displaying her ever-present maturity and calmness. This seemed to relax Kagami and Konata, who instantly stopped throwing insults at each other and instead focused on admiring Miyuki's vast living room.

"Oh, hey, Miyuki! You don't have any game consoles at all! How do you live?!" Konata exclaimed, her face plastered with an expression of disbelief.

"No, I don't. As I've said before, however, I do enjoy Minesweeper and Solitaire on the computer, and I often read in my spare time." Miyuki said. Konata turned, a glint in her eye.

"Well, tonight's the night you get initiated, Yuki-san! I brought this along!"

Konata reached into her schoolbag and pulled out a PS2, holding it up so the light reflected off of its surfaces.

"You're kidding! You left all your books at home so you could bring a games console to Miyuki's house?" Kagami exclaimed. "I lent you my Math book AND my World History book because of that?"

"Hey, at least it's better than me just outright forgetting them, right? This way we can play games all weekend at Yuki-san's house!" Konata declared, her eyes bright. She quickly rummaged behind Miyuki's plasma screen TV for the appropriate cables and plugs.

"Ugh! You're such a child, Konata! Try asking, first!"

"Will your mother mind, Yuki-san?" Tsukasa asked.

"No, no, I shouldn't think so. Mother's very patient and accepting. I'm certain this will be fine." Miyuki replied. "Besides, she IS going out soon. I'm not sure why, but I think she just wanted a trip into the city this weekend."

Tsukasa and Miyuki giggled at Yukari Takara's klutzy nature, while Kagami and Konata carried on fighting, this time over how to plug the PS2 in. Several snack breaks later, they finally figured out Miyuki's TV configuration and within 10 minutes, were playing several games of Metal Slug and Street Fighter, at which Konata won nearly every round and scored higher than Kagami every time.

"How are you doing this?!" Kagami was yelling constantly, and Konata was responding the same way every time;

"I keep telling you, if you don't visualize yourself winning, you'll never win, Kagamin~" Konata replied, in a sing-song voice that infuriated Kagami further.

"Urgh! I swear, Konata, before this school year's up, I'm definitely gonna beat you!" She yelled.

"You'd better hurry up and practice then, Kagami. Our college entrance exams come soon and after that, it's the end of school, remember?" Konata said, her catlike smile in full bloom.

"Y…yeah! Of course I remember!" Kagami replied, her face blushing slightly. Clearly, she hadn't remembered until Konata said so. Her strong front started to subside slightly.

"You were doing really well though sis, you scored really high when you were playing together!" Tsukasa said, trying to rally her sister's hopes up.

"Yeah, yeah." Kagami replied, sighing. "You play for a while, I'm going to the bathroom."

With that, she set the controller down, got up and left.

"Oh dear…will she be alright, Tsukasa-san?" Miyuki asked, her face wrought with worry.

"I'm sure she will, Yuki-san." Tsukasa smiled, trying to keep spirits up. She wasn't too sure, however.

"Oh come on, it's Kagami! She'll be fine." Konata assured them. "Now, who's going to try and beat my Fei Long, huh? You, Tsukasa? Or maybe the new challenger…Miyuki-san!"

The session continued in this kind of vein for a while, with Miyuki's mother coming in at one point and, delighted at the new contraption in her household, gave it a go. However, her choices of characters according to which ones were "cute" and "funny" looking didn't fare well against Konata's choices- characters that she could play well. Yukari Takara eventually had to excuse herself, as she had been so engrossed in Street Fighter that she had missed 3 buses, and was close to missing a fourth. After saying her goodbyes, Yukari left in a hurry, leaving the girls in the house alone. 5 minutes later, Kagami came back down.

"Oh, Kagami-san, you're back. We were worried about you." Miyuki said. Tsukasa attempted to murmur something in greeting, but was busy being Ultra Combo'd by Konata.

"It's okay, I was just sorting my clothes out. I had to do it sometime." Kagami replied, attempting a smile that didn't quite come.

"Really? I thought you'd disappeared down the plughole." Konata said, not taking her eyes from the screen.

"Yeah, yeah…" Kagami shrugged off the casual jibe, staring at the other side of Miyuki's living room. As Tsukasa was glued to the TV screen, Miyuki decided to concern herself with Kagami, and offered her a drink.

"Are you alright, Kagami-san? You seem a little depressed." Miyuki said kindly, while they were in the kitchen.

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking about…sorting out some of my old clothes. After unpacking all my stuff upstairs, I realised there's quite a bit that doesn't fit me anymore. I probably shouldn't have stuffed my bag full." Kagami said, smiling slightly. Miyuki didn't wish to think harsh of anyone, but she knew when someone was trying to hide the fact that they were upset. For now though, she decided to keep quiet about it and not pester her friend. Perhaps she would ask again later.

For the rest of the night, Kagami retained her aloof attitude, simply staring off into space. Miyuki had once found her staring into the rain, out of the large window on the second floor landing. When questioned, Kagami simply said that she was looking for the pizza delivery guy, as they'd ordered pizza a short time before. She then went to the bathroom and returned downstairs. After the pizza came and they had all eaten, Kagami's mood seemed to lift a little, and she even joined in playing games, although her mood was less upbeat than before- she wasn't chastising Konata when she was "Ultra Combo'd", and she wasn't demanding rematches every time she lost, rather she played in silence. Miyuki noticed that every time Konata mentioned Kagami's former promise, to "beat her before the school year ended", Kagami's mood dropped. If she was saying anything or sounding happy, she would instantly be stricken to silence.

Miyuki thought that Tsukasa would notice too, but the younger Hiiragi twin was always so shy and didn't want to provoke anything, so she would most likely not think of asking Kagami what was wrong, or risk instigating an argument between Konata and Kagami, thus making her sister feel worse. Miyuki, therefore, thought it her responsibility to try and keep Kagami's spirits up, and sometimes offered to play cards with her when she swapped places with Tsukasa in gaming against Konata, who seemed to have an insatiable appetite for video games. Kagami's mood seemed to lift a bit when she was away from the TV, which made Miyuki slightly more relieved- at least she was doing something right.

At around 8:30, however, Kagami stood up and declared that she was going to take a shower and get to bed- a surprise, as Kagami usually stayed up later, although not quite as late as Konata, of course.

"Man, someone was sure grumpy tonight. Maybe she's having guy trouble." Konata observed, mischievously.

"You think?" Tsukasa replied, thinking. "I don't know, sis only started being like that tonight. You'd think it'd be going on for a while if it was guy trouble…"

"Hmmm, I guess you're right." Konata turned back to the screen and kept thinking.

"Aha! I've got it! Maybe it's girl trouble…" She said, smirking.

"Wh…what? Girl trouble? You…you think so…?" Tsukasa seemed to have been thrown into a fluster by this sudden thought.

"Oh, I'm sure Kagami-san is simply feeling down due to all this rain." Miyuki said, telling a white lie but trying to keep everyone from worrying. "After all, too much rain may have an adverse affect on someone's personality. In fact, there is a mental disorder known as "Seasonal Affective Disorder", and sufferers often grow very depressed when the weather is dark and gloomy. Perhaps that's what's wrong with her."

"Yeah, she sure seems disordered. Heh heh." Konata replied, grinning. "I'm sure she'll be better in the morning, so let's stop worrying about it and play some Metal Slug."


	2. An Open Box

Although this conclusion seemed fine for Tsukasa and Konata, Miyuki was still unsure. She had noticed how Kagami reacted when the topic of school ending came round in conversation- she instinctively grew silent and acted in a manner not unlike Miyuki's neighbor, Iwasaki- quiet and emotionless. Although this was not quite true- Miyuki realised that Kagami was looking very sad indeed.

At around 9.00, Tsukasa fell asleep on the floor, prompting Miyuki to cover her with a blanket and lay a pillow underneath her head. Miyuki herself decided to retire at 10.00, saying goodnight to Konata and leaving her on the games console in front of the TV. Clearly Konata thought it quite a novelty to play her games on such a large screen.

Making sure to be as quiet as she could so as not to awaken the sleeping Kagami, Miyuki washed herself by hand, making sure to be as thorough as possible without using too much water. She folded up her clothes and placed them gently in the upstairs laundry closet, then slipped into pair of silk pyjamas and made her way to the spare room, deciding to let Tsukasa and Konata sleep in her bed and futon- both beds were bigger than the bed in the spare room, and she assumed that Kagami had slept in her Mother's bed.

Miyuki slipped quietly into the room, closing the door gently so as not to cause any great noise. She flipped the light switch, bathing the room in a hazy glow that simply served to make her sleepier. She pulled out the futon-bed, draped a sheet across it and reached a pillow down from the top of the wardrobe on the left side of the room, unfortunately causing a framed photograph to fall down and hit Miyuki on the head, a clumsy action for which she cursed herself- politely, of course.

It was then that she heard the sniffing from in the corner. Freezing in fright for a moment, Miyuki slowly turned and saw the spare bed set up, with a human-shaped bump in it. It was only then that she realised who was supposed to have the spare bed.

"Mi…Miyuki-san…?" the voice from within the bed came. It was weak and feeble sounding, yet characteristically familiar.

"Kagami-san? Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry, I thought that I was sleeping in the spare bedroom. I'll move straight away." Miyuki stuttered. It was then that she noticed her pyjama shirt had fallen open slightly, causing her to blush passionately. Grasping the two halves of her shirt, she swiftly pulled them together, her pale breasts shaking gently as she did so.

"No, it's okay…I guess I should have cleared it up…" Kagami said, and it was then that Miyuki saw how Kagami's eyes were curtained in a red glow, her cheeks moist with settled tears. She had been crying.

"Ka..Kagami-san…what's wrong? Are you alright? Is it to do with what Konata-san said earlier?" Miyuki finally decided to confront her friend on the issue, letting her built-up concern brush over the girl like a blanket.

"You…you shouldn't worry, it's just me…" Kagami continued, in-between sniffling and light sobbing. "It's just me being a Tsundere again, just Kagami being emotional and heartfelt for a change…"

With this, Kagami broke down into heavier sobs, prompting Miyuki to sit on the bed beside her. Her years of living with just a Mother had given Miyuki an instinctive Motherly nature when it came to comforting. She laid an arm around Kagami's shoulders as the girl sat up in bed and leaned over, letting her head drop onto Miyuki's chest. This caused Miyuki to gasp slightly as Kagami brushed against her breast, lightly pressing against her right nipple. To avoid any further awkwardness, Miyuki simply bit her tongue and stroked Kagami's hair with her right hand, moving her head upwards at the same time.

"I'm so sorry, Miyuki…I shouldn't be like this, I'm meant to be strong, but…" Kagami continued to gently sob.

"No, no, it's not a problem, please don't apologise for it." Miyuki smiled softly, her radiant features illuminated by the hazy glow of the room's single lightbulb. "You must tell me, Kagami-san, it's important. We're both friends, and I feel it my duty to support anyone when they are upset. Please tell me what you've been worrying about."

"W-well, okay…" Kagami leaned away from Miyuki (To the girl's light relief) and, drying her eyes, began to speak.

"I…it's my fault…it all began with me telling Konata that thing…that promise, to beat her before the school year ended. You…well, you…you always think, it's going to be so long before I break up from school, I'm going to be with all of my friends forever, and it's never gonna end. So when…" Kagami paused to control herself and wipe her eyes. "When I think that in two months' time, it'll all be over, I…I can't stand it…"

At this point, Kagami became overcome with emotion, breaking out into sobs and collapsing onto Miyuki once more, draping her arms around Miyuki's neck and laying her head on her chest. This caused Miyuki to gasp once more, more from surprise than awkwardness, and she hastily returned the embrace, stroking Kagami's back in an attempt to comfort her.

"I…I know I shouldn't be like this, but it's the thought…the horrible thought of going to college and leaving you all, leaving you to…just fade away…" She sniffed, heavily. "At least now I can talk to you all the time, even though I'm in a different class, but…what if I have to move away? What if everyone else does? It's like…it's like the end's so close and I'm not ready for it, I just thought we'd have so long to get ready for it, but you just blink your eyes and it's right here…"

"Oh, Kagami-san…" Miyuki said, her voice soothing and calm. She pressed the weeping girl's head tighter against her chest, as her mother had done for her when she was young, and felt tears welling in her own eyes. Leaving one hand against Kagami's head, she used the other to lift her glasses from her face, fold them and lay them on her bedside table, before returning it to brush gently through her friend's hair.

"Of course we'll all still be friends. Something as strong as a bond of friendship won't break just because we're all away from each other. We all have each other's addresses, and telephone numbers, and we'll still meet up for festivals and outings. We don't need to be in school to be friends."

"B-but…" Kagami began to stutter once more. "But we talk so much at school, and we all have something in common when we're there…we see each other every day, we all take similar subjects, we all know the teachers…we all meet up at lunchtimes to talk about how to eat a…a stupid Chocolate Cornet! What about when we leave? You're doing medicine, Tsukasa wants to do music or something, I want to do law…we'll have nothing in common anymore, we'll just feel so awkward…"

As Kagami sobbed once more, Miyuki tried her hardest to hold back her own tears. When she spoke, it was shaky, yet strong.

"Ka…Kagami-san…do you remember when you were ill, all that time ago?" She asked. Kagami stopped sobbing and instead tried to choke back her tears.

"Ye…yeah…" She said, her voice distorted with coughing.

"Do you remember how we all came round, and we all brought you gifts, and we all spoke to you and helped you through it?"

"Even…even stupid Izumi…" Kagami muttered.

"Yes, even Izumi-san. We all cared about you, Kagami, and we all wanted you to be better soon so we could be together again..." Miyuki felt her tears stream faster, and her voice become shakier. "It's everything, the visits to festivals, birthday parties, even conversations about chocolate cornets and food…everything is our little way of showing how much we care for each other, and how much our bond stretches…it holds us all very tightly together…"


	3. Passion Under Haze

As Miyuki spoke, Kagami clutched her tighter, her face pressing into Miyuki's breast and her fingers softly scratching Miyuki's back. Kagami bit her lower lip, trying to keep herself from bursting out into tears again.

"Mi…Miyuki-san…I'm sorry, it's my hormones or my mind or…I don't know, I'm so sorry…" Kagami whispered and as she did, looked up at the taller girl's face, her features framed by her long, pink hair, and thought that she had witnessed Miyuki's transformation from innocent, ditzy moe-incarnate into a caring and loving friend, and even…

"Kagami-san, I told you…it's what I'm here for. After all, I'm your-mm!"

As Miyuki had spoken, she had inclined her face downwards, and her lips had met with Kagami's, soft and moist with the dew of tears. Her train of thought had drifted to a halt, and all she could think of was the face of the girl she was consoling as her hands glided down Miyuki's back, softly pulling her shirt down and exposing her large, untouched breasts to the light. It was Kagami who broke the kiss, and there was a minute in which the two of them simply stared at each other, the dreamlike lighting surrounding them both, blanketing them in its enigmatic glow.

"Ka…Kagami-san, I…you're…I don't…" Miyuki stuttered, feeling unsure and flustered. Kagami tilted her head to the side slightly and smiled, moving Miyuki to an even greater plane of confusion.

"I guess…it was too soon, wasn't it?" Kagami said, allowing a tiny giggle of nervousness to escape her. Her hands moved to the buttons on her pyjama shirt, as she began to undo each of them. It was then that Miyuki suddenly noticed that her chest was getting progressively colder, and rushed to cover it up. Kagami, however, stretched out her hands to stop her.

"Why are you covering yourself, Miyuki…? We're both friends, aren't we?"

"I…yes, that is true, but I…I've never been so…open before…" Miyuki mumbled. "And I've never…to have a girl suddenly…I…"

"Don't worry." Kagami said, the last few tears of sadness rolling down her cheeks. "I won't hurt you, and I'm not just taking advantage of you, either…"

She lifted a hand to cradle Miyuki's face and pulled it gently towards her own. Thankful for the lack of resistance, Kagami brushed lips with Miyuki once more, using her free hand to pull the girl's waist closer to her own. Miyuki, now on her knees, shuffled forward and hesitantly placed her hands on Kagami's own waist, letting the blanket covering her chest drop down. Suddenly, she broke the kiss, an expression of surprise on her face.

"I…is it okay if…am I okay to…?"

"Of course it is, Miyuki-san." Kagami smiled, her expression carrying a quality Miyuki had often seen in Renaissance-era sculptures of angelic beauties. Once more, her hands returned to the buttons on her shirt, now open enough to reveal her stomach and the lower part of her chest. "Like I said, we're friends, comfortable with each other to share our deepest concerns with…isn't that what you'd say?"

Before Miyuki could answer, Kagami grinned cheekily, before planting another soft kiss on the girl's lips.

"B…but Kagami-san…" Miyuki said, her voice now far quieter than usual. "I'm not…I don't think I like…um, girls…like this…"

Kagami paused, one of her chest buttons remaining half-undone. After a second of thought, she clasped her head in her hands.

"I…I'm so sorry, Miyuki…" She said, quietly. "I…I didn't…I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking…I'm being so selfish…"

"N…no, Kagami-san!" Miyuki exclaimed, more flustered than before. "I didn't mean to upset you again, I was just…I don't really know, I haven't even kissed a boy yet and I'm so uncertain when it comes to these things…"

Kagami looked up, and Miyuki was relieved to see that she hadn't burst out crying again. After looking at Miyuki for a second, Kagami nodded.

"I won't force it upon you, Miyuki…" She said. "I was just too caught up, and too…I don't kn-mm."

This time, Miyuki had been the one to steal the kiss. Her lips were clumsy and shaking a little from nerves, but not so much to make the experience unpleasant. Kagami held the back of Miyuki's head and returned the kiss, her lips pressing tighter against Miyuki's. She finished unbuttoning her shirt and separated from Miyuki just to remove it, before pressing her own chest, smaller though it was, against Miyuki's. Her arms looped around the girl's back and began to gently slide down and up, a hypnotic motion that caused Miyuki to occasionally break from kissing to gasp lightly in pleasure.

"Ka…Kagami-san…this…this doesn't mean…?" Miyuki whispered in her friend's ear.

"Don't say that it doesn't mean anything…" Kagami gently pulled her face back to the front and kissed her again. "After everything you said. We're two friends, two very close friends, sharing an intimate moment together. I don't want anything more or less than that."

"O…oh…" This was not so much a sound of understanding, as a sound of contentment and happiness. As Kagami kissed her, Miyuki reached over for the bedside lamp, eventually finding the switch, and clicked it on. She broke from Kagami only to turn the main light off, and the two girls lay down in the bed, pulling the sheets over themselves. After this point, they did not talk in language, only in light gasps and moans, as Kagami cupped Miyuki's breasts in her hands, squeezing lightly, and the kisses continued as soft and gentle as a light breeze, drifting through the enigmatic, cool summer night.


	4. Epilogue

"Well, good morning, you two!" Konata exclaimed, her grin as wide as ever. Kagami and Miyuki had awoken at pretty much the same time, at first surprised, then happy, to find themselves in each other's arms. They weren't telling Konata this, though. Never.

"Good morning." Kagami said, trying to remain straight-faced. "You're up early, that's a surprise."

It was 9 am, and she had figured Konata would be in bed, recovering the sleep lost by gaming for most of the night. Instead, she was still gaming, but chewing on a piece of toast at the same time. She sure loved her unconventional Japanese breakfasts.

"Hmhm…" Konata chuckled, enigmatically, before turning back to the game. "Before you ask, yes, I am still awake."

She chuckled again, before adding-

"But I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who didn't get much sleep…"

Kagami froze, feeling her face going red. Did she…no, she couldn't have…

"Aheh, why, I can't possibly start to guess what you're talking about. I went to bed at 8:30, remember? And I have no idea when the others went to bed." She said, trying her best to cover her tracks…and not succeeding. Konata chuckled yet again, this time pausing the game.

"Kagami-san, what would you like to eat?" Miyuki called from the kitchen. Kagami managed to blurt out "just some rice", before turning her attention back to Konata.

"And what do you find so funny, anyway?" She hissed.

"Oh, you know. In ero-games, I often see a scenario that goes kind of like this- "Oh, I'm sorry, were you sleeping here? It's okay, I'll go now…" then "No, wait…I have something to tell you…you see…""

"Cut it out and get to the point already!"

"Hmhmhmhmhm. Oh, I think you know what the point is, Kagamin~. "We're just two friends who care so much for each other…""

At this point, Kagami had completely frozen. She knew. How…?

"Oh, don't look so surprised, you guys weren't exactly quiet, especially poor uninitiated Miyuki-san…" Konata grinned. "Did she like how your lips felt on her-"

She was cut off by Kagami hitting her on the head, prompting her to be silent. Miyuki peeked her head around the kitchen door.

"I…is everything okay?" She asked, her face a paragon of concern, as usual.

"Yeah, everything's fine, Miyuki. Don't worry." Kagami smiled. Miyuki smiled and nodded, before returning to the kitchen. Kagami then turned her attention to Konata.

"I don't know what you heard, Shorty, but know this- it was NOTHING like one of your dating sims." Kagami smirked. Konata's face, that had once been confident and gleeful, now showed an expression of annoyance.

"Hmph. I didn't miss a lot, then. I knew I should've just smashed the door down…"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Konata. You'd better just stick to your games, huh?" Kagami said, now possessing an immense degree of self-assurance. Konata just stuck her tongue out and returned to her game. Later, Miyuki came out with a bowl of rice for Kagami and one for herself, and they sat and talked for a while, Kagami occasionally taking Konata on at a video game, and never winning.

Eventually it got to 12 pm, and Kagami excused herself to her bedroom, to get ready for the day ahead. As it was Saturday, the girls had decided to take a trip into town. As she packed her money and other essentials into her handbag, Kagami felt happier than she had been for a while.

"U-um, Kagami-san?"

She turned, to see Miyuki at the door, smiling gently and awkwardly, as if she didn't know whether she was allowed to enter.

"Oh, hey, Miyuki-san! What's up?" Kagami said, smiling. "Come in, it's your house after all."

"Y…yes. Of course." Miyuki said, before shuffling into the room and closing the door. "W…well, I was just worried about last night."

"Hm? Worried about it?"

"Yes…and what it could mean for…us."

Kagami sighed, still maintaining her smile.

"Miyuki, haven't we been through this? It was just a moment- a beautiful moment, but just a moment nonetheless. It was a brief point in our friendship where we got closer than friends are usually considered to be. It's something we'll always remember, I'm sure. But that's no reason to get worried that it might ruin something." She explained, and as she did, walked closer to Miyuki and took the girl's hands.

"Y…yes. I understand, Kagami-san…" Miyuki said, and she leant down to accommodate Kagami's desires, as well as her own, for one last time. They only stopped when…

"Um, sis? Are you awa-"

The two of them suddenly froze, then turned to the door, to see Tsukasa leaning around it, clearly only just having gotten up. Her face had on it a similar degree of surprise as Miyuki had when Kagami had kissed her for the first time. The two girls watched as Tsukasa slowly turned red, then closed the door, mumbling embarrassed apologies.

"O…oh dear…" Miyuki said, going red herself. Kagami's smile broadened and she started to laugh.

"Miyuki, the look on your face! It's so…moe!" She began to laugh louder, ironically echoing the words of her blue-haired friend. "I'm ready now. Let's go."

And with that, the two girls began to walk out of the room that they had shared their moment of intimacy in, stopping only for one last kiss before they opened the door and joined the other two downstairs, the future of their friendship not cast into uncertainty or awkwardness, but into optimism and happiness.

"Man, I sure missed one hell of an event scene, that's for sure…" Kagami later heard Konata mutter.


End file.
